A substantial factor determining the productivity and utility users derive from their computers is the user-friendliness and convenience of the user's experience with a computer. Even a small difference in ease and convenience of the user interface can make a significant difference in the productivity of a user's experience. The adoption of graphical user interfaces (GUI's) presented a dramatic leap forward in ease of use, and allowed users to see a variety of different graphical indicators, icons, or buttons with one glance and select from among such graphical indicators by merely navigating a pointer to a desired graphical indicator and selecting it, for example.
Several different pointing input devices, over decades of experimentation and commercialization, have been used to control the pointer in a graphical user interface. The mouse has been the most popular input device for controlling a pointer and selector. Other pointer input devices have included styluses, trackballs, trackpads, and scrolling dials, for example. Some of these pointer control input devices are physically integrated with a keyboard or console, while some require physical contact with an output screen, while still others, such as a mouse, require physical contact or very close physical proximity to an external reference surface. These input devices have also occasionally been found to present issues of discomfort or repetitive stress when used intensively over a significant amount of time.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.